Clothes-line grip.



PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904.

J. MANDREY. CLOTHES LINE-GRIP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21. 1903.

NO MODEL.

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Patented September 6, 1904.

NITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JACOB MANDREY, OF NEW' YORK, N. Y.

CLOTHES-LINE GRIP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,620, dated September 6, 1904.

To all IL'ZI/ITIIL- it may mite/'7'..-

Be it known that l, JACOB MANDREY, a. citil Zen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of the Bronx, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Clothes-Line Grip, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improved form of gripping or holding device especially adapted for the use of holding ropes, clothes-lines, cables, belts, wires, or the like to permit the same to be readily released or put in a gripping position, the object being to provide a whereby the eccentric grip may be actuated to bite or release the article in juxtaposition to the device 2 by moving it backward or forward.

In the operation the end of the rope, line, or other article is passed between the eccentric gripping-plate 3 and the device or wall 1 of the block 2, while the eccentric gripping device is in such a position as to allow the grip of simple and inexpensive character so arranged as to firmly hold the line from slipping without danger of cutting into thel strands and to provide a means whereby the gripping-face of the holding device may present selective frictional holding-surfaces for articles of varying thickness to correspond with the particular physical properties or conditions of the article to be gripped or held and whereby the article so gripped or held maybe quickly and readily released without abrading or destroying its tensile value.

As an example of the adaptation of my gripping or holding device 1 will describe it as applied as a clothes-line grip, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a clothessame to pass therethrough readily without material resistance and drawn tightly to take up the slack. The eccentric gripping device is then moved forward by means of the actuating device 5 until it grips or bites the article between the selective holding projections at the periphery of the eccentric gripping device and the wall of the block 2. The article so gripped will then be normally held by the gripping device so long as any tension on the article is exerted in a direction having a tendency to move the gripping-eccentric toward the point of the shortest distance between the periphery and the pivot of the eccentric.

I The article so 'ri )ed may be readilv released P5 u a line provided with my improved gripping device, and Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views oi the gripping parts in different positions.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a hollow block or block-shell, the inner wall 2 of which forms a means for retaining and bringing the article to be held in a gripping position by the coaction of the eccentric grip 3, suitably pivoted or mounted in the blockshell and having ratchet-shaped teeth or holding devices 4. arranged upon its periphery in such selective form as to present to articles of various thickness at particular and preferable character of frictional resistance in order that the utility of the article so gripped will not be weakened or deteriorated in value.

The eccentric grip is provided with a device 5, extending outside of the block-shell 1,

by moving the eccentric in the direction of its longest distance between the pivot and its periphery by means of the device or fingerpiece 5, whereby the distance between the periphery of the eccentric with the gripping devices thereon and the wall of the blockshell 2 is increased to such a degree that the article is disengaged, when it may be quickly and readily removed or withdrawn.

The distinguishing feature of my invention lies in the fact that in combination with or upon the periphery of the eccentric gripping device 1 provide frictional or biting devices of a character which when presented to articles of varying thickness between the eccentric gripping device 3 and the wall of the block-shell will engage and hold the same without injuring the article gripped or deteriorating its tensile value by breaking, cutting, or abrading the surface or strands of the same. The form of varying biting devices which 1 prefer to employ in connection with my invention as applied to a rope or cable grip is of serrated character, the serrations or teeth being so arranged that a considerable number of small serrated projecl tions will engage a rope or cable of small diameter, the said small serrations being situated on that portion of the periphery of the ecl centric located at the farthest distance from the pivotthereof, the succeeding or following ser- 1 rations around the periphery toward'the point i of shortest distance from the pivot being gradl ually increased in depth and distance from each l other, the advantage of this variation in the l character ofthe serration or biting devices on theperipheryoftheeccentricorincombination l therewith being that the small serrations will 1 pinch and bite a rope of small diameter, while l a biting device of the same size would have a l tendency to abrade or scrape the surface of a rope of large diameter. The increasing depth of the various serrations causes the gripping device to take a deeper bite in the ropes of larger diameter, and the movement of the eccentric forward or backward in enlarging or 1 lessening the space between the periphery of I the eccentric 8 and the wall of the block-shell 2 I l l to permit of the passage of ropes of varying diameter automatically brings the teeth or serrations of selective gripping character to the particular rope employed opposite the wall of the block-shell 2, whereby the advantage of the gripping device of selective frictional i character is utilized in coaction with the wall of the block-shell 2 for the purpose of biting and holding the said rope without injuring or 1 abrading its surface or deteriorating its value I or strength. l It will be noted that the gripping or holdl ing device consisting of the combination of parts hereinbefore specified is provided with l a means for suitably attaching or suspending the same in any convenient manner as desired, such as a ring, as shown in the accompanying drawings, located at or near the point l at which the material is gripped and held bel tween the biting devices at at or on the periphery of the eccentric 3 and the wall of the block-shell 2. Having now described my invention, what 1 I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A gripping or holding device consisting of a block-shell having a gripping element pivoted therein, the gripping element being provided with biting devices graduated in size, the ends of the smaller biting devices being disposed at a greater distance from the pivot than the ends of the larger biting devices.

2. A gripping or holding device consisting of a block-shell having an eccentric therein, the eccentric being provided with biting devices graduated in size, the smaller biting devices being disposed at a greater distance from the pivot than the larger biting devices.

3. A gripping or holding device consisting of a block-shell having an eccentric pivoted therein, the eccentric being provided at its periphery with teeth graduated in size, the distance of the teeth from the pivot being inversely proportional to their size.

4. A gripping or holding device consisting of a block-shell having an eccentric pivoted therein, the eccentric being provided with biting devices graduated in size, the distance of the biting devices from the pivot being inversely proportional to their size, and means for engaging and releasing the same with and from the article desired.

5. A gripping or holding device consisting of a block-shell having an eccentric pivoted therein, the eccentric being provided with biting devices graduated in size, the distance of the biting devices from the pivot being inversely proportional to their size, and means whereby the gripping devices may be suitably attached or suspended.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JACOB MANDREY.

' WVitnesses:

SAMUEL J. HENRY, J OSEPH l/VADIoK. 

